The evening world., 1887-12-24

enemy had driven us back through the town
and fred the bridge. We made q stand here
and there. It don't seem as If 1t was our men
s simplSy.' ana wyU st Il R SsSe hs Sosn Os ssRiiin nS w sftS
"'You wouldn't be likely to be- / said,
though, of course, that is possible
Yes, Of course he assented. Well, as
of the hill Just below the edge of the pines
and inside the line of works. BY the way,
there was a fort or something of that kind on
thu, point above the town, seemed to be
no soldiers and no camps, around, but just
those red graves on the hillside with rough
headboards at each. Everything was just as
still and quiet as death. The sun was shin
ing brightly and l., the grass s,r was fresh hs and
"' While / was wondering at this saw a
woman standing at one of the graves. She
was bowed and her back was towards NE, you
see, but l knew it was Emily and knew she
was alone in the world. Somehow l was not
surprised, but / wondered where I was and
| why she was wearing O widows weeds
"'All at once she looked back over her
shoulder, pressed her hand TO her heart, and
l saw that her eyes were wild-crazed with
much suffering. l knew that in an instant,
but did not seem to understand 1t until
l read the headboard which she disclosed
as she turned around. 1t read;
Lieut. Ind. Vols.
Killed In action at
qeth Of Dec, isse
az did not get the date, because her fg.
ure hid a part Of the inscription from me. 1
saw enough though. l knew. l had been
with grief at her bereavement. Remember,
1 did not dream this, but sa,o it. know the
vision will be fulfilled, too. l don't mind
about myself. / didn't then. l didn't mind
dead, except for Emily-.I couldn't bear that
she should suffer-that her young life should
be destroyed, her brain crazed with sorrow!'
my God, Bridges said I, how did you
learn where we are goingP'
"'Where we are going2' he asked in
surprise.
Eyes, indeed, you have described with'the
utmost minuteness the place we are expected
to reach and attack on the morning of the
26th-the day after to-morrow-at daybreak."
T r "Ihs g1 9Sas Ts SSs o Sst of %Y tho mouth sso before re
the expedition. / knew it was safe enough
with Bridges, but I was mortified that I
should. even for a moment have forgotten
1.-The pool fellows face became q shade
paler, Thought, but he did not show any
further sign of fear"
Well he said, quietly enough gu u n after e.. a
though I had no idea we were going to turn
oh III Souipo uAbNA . SWeto
ville.'
"'And who said we were p I asked, anx-
ious to regain the ground lost by my pre-
THAT is the name I saw on the head
board he answered. Poor EmilyP he
~ confessed that was our destination, but
tried to cheer him up by telling him there
was little likelihood of a fight, and If there
should be one little chance that he would be
IN IL I avap oHara1 IN bava him defailaH for
special service to keep him out Of the thick
est of it. He shook his head.
al couldn't do it, he said. Besides 1t
would do no good. One can't avoid what is
decreed.'
II trembled as I saw how thoroughly he
was possessed of that f~atalistlc idea I had
known SO many soldiers to entertain. and
which I had never known to fail in its fore
to laugh at him. His querulousness had
departed and he was dead to all thought of
himself as if the stroke of fate had already
fallen. He only repeated his wife's name
softly.
Poor Emily! Poor Emily
named me one of his executors. His wife
was the sole heir and also executrix. He did
not suppose 1 could act now-he had not
looked for the end quite 80 soon-but he
he hoped / would counsel and assist her.
child and she will not be as we'll off as many
think. l spent q good deal Of money raising
the regiment. I did not think of going in il
then. thought that was the part that l
could do and was glad to do. I shouldn't
have come at all, but Emily got the notion
that l was going to do 30 and talked about it
80 that l saw it would. crafty her pride. So
l came. l don't think / was intended for o
soldier. though 1 am willing to do what I can.
If they had made o quartermaster now--that
is in my line. But l was not going to lobby
for it; and besides | don't think Emily would
have liked it as we'll.
was too much for me. The idea of being an
executor too was only less terrible to me
than of being an executioner. l was only
just twenty-five, O stranger to such things
complexities. I knew nothing Of Bridges's
business, living as 1 did in a distant part of
the county, had never seen his wife but once,
when she came to bid him good-by as we
started for the field. She was a beautiful
woman. ! Wondered then how she came to
marry Bridges. / understood now; l was
very difident at that time and, like most
country lads, shy of ladies, society. The
very idea of being associated with a pretty
widow in the administration OF her husbands
estate threw me into a perspiration. j think
/ had an idea that there was no way out of
such q duty il 1t were once deyolved on me.
So / begged him to excuse me, but to no pur-
pose. He said his wife had the will and he
would rest easier If he knew l was interested
in her welfare. Why he should 1 could not
imagine. ! was nothing but q schoolboy and
not a very bright one either.
In trying to find a way out of this II &C.
Cured to me that an officer with a little detail
of men was to be sent back in the morning. 1
urged him to take this, but he declined. De-
termined to get out of what seemed to me a
desperate scrape, L finally asked him outright
why he did not resign, tax this detail back
to the city and leave the service. l thought
! might help my friend Edison by persuadlng
him TO this course as well as save the mans
/ did not hesitate TO tell Bridges what he al
ready knew, that he was not fitted for his
place, and it would be a patriotic duty OF his
part,
HE hesitated chiefly I am sure on account
of his wife. AT the same time his love for her